Empire State Building Tickets Compared: Which to Buy
Empire State Building tickets range from $44 at the official ticket office for the 86th floor alone to $489 for a fully private VIP tour with a guide and skip-the-line access to both decks. The choice that changes the price most is whether you add the 102nd floor, and the second is whether you want a guide at all — every option below is self-guided unless stated otherwise. The cards group the six products this site recommends by what you're actually buying: a plain ticket, a guided experience, or a combo with special timing. The table further down lines each one up against the official price list so you can see exactly what the extra cost buys.
Entry tickets: with or without a digital audio tour
A self-guided entry ticket is the right buy for most first visits. The Observation Deck & Museum Ticket costs $50 through the booking partner with booking fees and sales tax included, against $44 plus a $5 booking fee for the official 86th Floor Only ticket, and it lists 12 museum galleries among its inclusions. The Observatory Ticket & Digital Tour costs $122 and adds a self-guided audio tour in the WeGoTrip app; its listing does not name a floor.
Entry ticket Empire State Building Observation Deck & Museum Ticket
The $50 Empire State Building ticket for the 86th-floor deck and 12 museum galleries: what's included, how it compares to the $44 official ticket, who it suits.
Valid 1 day at your booked time slot; plan 45 minutes to 2 hours inside 4.7 (28,920)
Audio guide Empire State Observatory Ticket & Digital Tour
Empire State Building Observatory entry plus a self-guided audio tour in the WeGoTrip app: $122 per person, what's included, and who it suits.
About 3 hours, self-paced
Guided tours: a live guide indoors, or a private VIP experience
Book a live guide when you want the building's construction history and Art Deco design explained on the spot rather than read off a gallery panel. The Indoor Guided Tour costs $79 for a roughly 90-minute route through the lobby, the 2nd- and 80th-floor exhibitions and the 86th-floor deck with a guide. The Express Pass VIP Private Tour costs from $489 per person for a 2-hour private tour with a licensed guide and Express Pass access to both the 86th and 102nd floors; a 3.5-hour option adds private round-trip transfers from your accommodation.
Guided tour Indoor Guide Tour with Ticket of Empire State Building
A live-guided, roughly 90-minute route through the Empire State Building's lobby, exhibits and 86th-floor deck: $79 per person, what's included, who it suits.
About 90 minutes
private Express Pass VIP Private Tour of the Empire State Building
A private tour with a licensed guide and Express Pass access to the 86th and 102nd floors, from $489 per person, with an option that adds hotel transfers.
2 hours, or 3.5 hours with private round-trip transfers (about 1.5 hours of that is driving)
Combos and special timing: a Manhattan walking tour, or sunrise
Two products change what surrounds the visit rather than what's inside it. The Empire State Building & Manhattan Walking Tour ($120) pairs a 3-hour guided walk through Wall Street, Chinatown and Little Italy with an unguided 86th-floor visit afterward, for about 5 hours total. The Sunrise Experience Ticket ($147) runs exclusively on Saturday mornings, before the building opens to the public, and includes Starbucks Reserve coffee and pastries with the early-access deck time.
combo Empire State Building & Manhattan Walking Tour
A 3-hour guided walk through Wall Street, Chinatown and Little Italy, then the Empire State Building's 86th floor on your own: $120 per person, about 5 hours.
About 5 hours: a 3-hour walking tour, then about 2 hours at the Empire State Building 4.4 (21)
night Empire State Building Sunrise Experience Ticket
Saturday-morning access to the Empire State Building's 86th floor before public opening, with Starbucks Reserve coffee and Princi pastries: $147 per person.
Valid 1 day; the start time for your Saturday is shown when you book 4.8 (74)
| Product | Partner price | Official equivalent | Official price | Floors | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observation Deck & Museum Ticket | $50 | 86th Floor Only | $44 | 86th | No |
| Observatory Ticket & Digital Tour | $122 | None — bundles an app audio tour | — | Not named on the listing | No, self-guided audio app |
| Indoor Guided Tour with Ticket | $79 | Official guided tour, price not published | — | 86th | Yes, about 90 min |
| Empire State Building & Manhattan Walking Tour | $120 | None — bundles a separate walking tour | $44 + tour | 86th | Yes, walking portion only |
| Sunrise Experience Ticket | $147 | None — Saturday early-access product run by the observatory | — | 86th | No; greeting host and audio guide app |
| Express Pass VIP Private Tour | From $489 | Express Pass + private guide | $85+ | 86th and 102nd | Yes, private |
What every option includes
- ✓ Timed or flexible entry, depending on the product
- ✓ Mobile e-ticket, scanned at the observatory entrance
- ✓ 86th Floor Observation Deck on every product
- ✓ In-building museum galleries on the entry-ticket and sunrise products
Do you need a ticket, and which one is right for you
Yes — the Empire State Building is a paid, timed attraction with no free general public admission to the observatories; only building tenants and their guests skip the ticket line. For a first visit, the $44 official 86th Floor Only ticket (or the $50 partner Observation Deck & Museum Ticket, which lists 12 museum galleries and includes fees and tax) covers the essentials. Add the 102nd floor if the day is clear, and add a guide only if you want the history explained rather than read off a plaque. Skip-the-line matters most on weekends and in summer, when the Express Pass and guided options use a separate, faster entrance.
How the partner prices compare to the official ticket office
The Empire State Building sells tickets directly at esbnyc.com starting at $44 for the 86th floor (86th Floor Only), $79 for both decks (Top Deck), $85 for an Express Pass, and $64 for a flexible, reschedule-anytime ticket, each plus a $5 booking fee. The partner products on this page cost more for the equivalent floor because they bundle something the official ticket doesn't — a digital audio tour, a live guide, a Manhattan walking tour, or exclusive early access — not because they mark up the same product. Treat the official site as the cheapest route to the 86th floor alone, and this page as where to weigh what each add-on is worth.
86th floor vs 102nd floor: the one choice that changes the price
The 86th floor is open-air, ringed by a safety barrier, and included on every product on this page. The 102nd floor is enclosed behind floor-to-ceiling glass roughly 200 feet higher, costs $35 more at the official ticket office (Top Deck vs 86th Floor Only), and isn't included by default on any of the six partner products here except where a listing explicitly adds it. If you only take one photo, the 86th floor delivers it; the 102nd floor mainly earns its price on a clear day. The full trade-off, including what each floor actually looks like, is covered on this site's 86th floor vs 102nd floor comparison.
How to book, and what to bring
Book online, choose a date and, where the product offers one, a time slot; the e-ticket arrives by email and is scanned on your phone at security. Bring photo ID matching the ticket holder's name, and expect airport-style screening at the door — no large bags. The visitor entrance is at 20 West 34th Street; the building's mailing address, 350 Fifth Avenue, is a different door used for offices. The on-site ticket office for in-person buyers is at 12 West 34th Street.
How booking works
Pick a product above, choose a date (and time slot, where offered), and pay by card. Your e-ticket arrives by email; show it on your phone at the observatory entrance, 20 West 34th Street. This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just walk into the Empire State Building without a ticket?
You can enter the lobby freely, but reaching the 86th or 102nd floor observatories requires a paid, scanned ticket — there's no walk-up general admission to the decks. Same-day tickets are sold at the on-site ticket office at 12 West 34th Street, but weekends and summer afternoons sell out, so booking ahead online is the safer option.
Is the 102nd floor worth the extra money?
Mainly on a clear-sky visit or for a special occasion: the enclosed 102nd floor sits roughly 200 feet above the 86th and costs $35 more at the official ticket office (Top Deck vs 86th Floor Only). On a hazy day or a tight budget, the 86th floor alone gives much the same skyline and photo opportunities for less.
How can I get a cheaper Empire State Building ticket?
The official 86th Floor Only ticket at $44 is the cheapest way to the observatory; a city tourist pass can also cut the cost if you're visiting several paid attractions on the same trip — see this site's city pass guide. Skipping the Express Pass and guided add-ons if you don't need them keeps the price down further.
Are the tours and tickets on this page legitimate?
Yes. Every product listed here is fulfilled through GetYourGuide, a licensed booking platform, and each one grants real, scannable access to the building — none is a discount duplicate of another; where two products look similar, the difference is stated in the table above.
Is the Empire State Building wheelchair accessible?
Yes — esbnyc.com states the building is fully ADA-compliant: the 20 West 34th Street entrance and the building's ramps are wheelchair accessible, the 86th Floor Observatory has accessible restrooms and lowered viewing walls and binoculars, and service dogs are welcome throughout.